I cultivate marijuana to raise money for my mother-in-law’s burial – suspect

A suspected cannabis sativa cultivator, Friday Ohiuan, has said that he took to the illicit business to raise money for the burial ceremony of his mother-in-law.

The 45-year-old Ohiuan was arrested with 177kg of the illicit drug at Afuze, in Owan East local government area of Edo State.

Speaking with journalists, the suspect said he has been in the business for just three years.

“I started cannabis cultivation so as to raise money in preparation for the burial of my mother-in-law who is very old but my hope has been dashed.

“I have been cultivating cannabis for the past three years but thieves did not allow me to enjoy the fruit of my labour. The 177kg was all that was left and now NDLEA has come to carry the leftover,” he said.

Also paraded by the Edo NDLEA boss was Ohmai Friday (36), who was arrested at Sabongida Ora, Owan West local government area of Edo State, with 241kg of weeds suspected to be cannabis sativa.

Friday said a friend introduced him to the business after he had an accident.

He said “I am a driver but after I had an accident, I relocated to the village where I was introduced into cannabis cultivation by a friend. The drug found with me was all that I harvested as I could not sell before my arrest.”

Edo State Commander of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Wakawa, who paraded the suspects, disclosed that journalists a Toyota Sienna bus filled with cannabis weighing 540kg was also impounded by the operatives.

He said the bus was intercepted at Utese community in Ovia North-East local government area of the state with 45 bags of cannabis weighing 540kg.

Wakawa disclosed that on sighting the NDLEA officials, the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled.

He assured that efforts were ongoing to arrest those behind the illicit drug shipment and that the vehicle will be forfeited to the federal government.